The Wales national rugby union team (Welsh: Tîm rygbi'r undeb cenedlaethol Cymru) represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 25 times outright, second only to England with 26 wins. Wales's most recent championship win came in 2012. They also compete in the Rugby World Cup every four years. The International Rugby Board (IRB) regards Wales as a Tier One rugby nation.
The governing body, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), was established in 1881, the same year that Wales played their first international against England. Wales' performances in the Home Nations Championship (now the Six Nations) continued to improve, experiencing their first 'golden age' between 1900 and 1911. They first played New Zealand, known as the All Blacks, in 1905, when they defeated them 3–0 in a famous match at Cardiff Arms Park. Welsh rugby struggled between the first and second World Wars, but experienced a second 'golden age' between 1969 and 1980 when they won eight Five Nations Championships (including 3 shared wins). They played in the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 where they achieved their best ever result of third. Following the professionalisation of rugby in 1995, Wales hosted the 1999 World Cup and, in 2005, won their first Grand Slam since 1978 (and their first since the tournament became the Six Nations). This was followed by two more Grand Slams, in 2008 and in 2012, their eleventh in total. Their 2005 Grand Slam is notable for being the first team ever to gain the accolade playing more matches away from home. The 2012 Grand Slam was Wales' third in 7 years, emulating the legendary 1970s teams who won three between 1971 and 1978. Wales also came fourth in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Their home ground is the Millennium Stadium, completed in 1999 to replace the National Stadium at Cardiff Arms Park. Ten former Welsh players have been inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and three are inductees of the IRB Hall of Fame.
Read more about Wales National Rugby Union Team: History, Playing Strip, Support, Grounds, Coaches
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